Making of "Habaneros Return"

October 26, 2015

What's more fun than eating Taco Time's hot and spicy Habanero Burritos? How about making a stop-motion commercial with over a 100 horrendously hot habanero peppers - precisely moving each pepper 15 times for every second of screen time? Check out the video for a behind-the-scenes look at stop-motion magic!

To tell the story of the return of Taco Time's Habanero Burritos, we hired Kaleo Quenzer and the Southside AllStars to build sets and animate the peppers. Not an easy task and actually potentially dangerous. Habaneros are really hot. They range anywhere from 100,000 to 350,000 units on the chili pepper Scoville scale, compared with just 2,500 to 8,000 units for jalapenos. So you don't want to get habanero oil on your hands and then touch yourself in the wrong place! (Don't ask how we know.)

Why stop-motion for Taco Time? Because it's "made from scratch" like Taco Time food. And like Taco Time, it has a Northwest kinda vibe. Authentic. Friendly and approachable. And people really like the commercials.

Quick plug for my client: Taco Time has been a Northwest favorite since they opened their first restaurant in White Center WA back in 1962. Now in their fourth generation of foodies, they've reached out to a new generation of Taco Time fans with exciting (read "hot and spicy") new flavors.

Quick plug for Jack Leonard: he's not only our stop-motion tech wizard and editor, he's also the voice-over talent for Taco Time TV and radio commercials. Jack did his first on-camera commercial for Taco Time before he was two. You might say he has Taco Time hot sauce in his veins.

Our Work

Did you know the average household in Seattle can generate 5 yards of compost in a year? (We didn't either.) Our client Cedar Grove wants everyone to buy 5 yards of compost to top dress their lawns, mulch their garden beds... and, well, save the earth. Time for some more stop-motion magic from the creative team at Leonard Creative.

Here’s to the Locals. Our Washington State farmers and growers who rise before the sun. And aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. AND here's to our film crew who did the same - capturing the perfect sunrise shots at a bean field in Quincy and a dairy farm in Granger. Our goal: to celebrate Taco Time's commitment to local sourcing.

Since 1986 Leonard Creative has been a trusted creative partner and storyteller for leading Pacific Northwest brands. Led by director David Leonard, this collection of creative minds has worked with local companies to conceive and produce some of the region’s most enduring television and radio campaigns.

Founded in Seattle in 1890, Bartell Drugs is the oldest independent drugstore chain in the United States. And it's one of the most respected family-owned retailers in the Northwest. To celebrate their 125th Anniversary, we used archival photos and a variety of period still cameras to tell the story of this well-loved neighborhood icon.

Have you ever been confused trying to figure out what's supposed to go into the compost/recycling/trash bins at your favorite coffee shop or restaurant? We've all been there. Well, we're happy to report that "doing the right thing" isn't a big deal at Taco Time. That's because since 2012, nearly every item on your tray is compostable. How easy is that?

Welcome to Leonard Creative. If we had a catchy slogan for this company it might be something like, "Every penny on the screen." Meaning that we put a lot of thought and effort into squeezing the most production value possible into every job we do. Not very sexy as slogans go. But most clients aren't looking for sexy, just fresh ideas and good value.

It's one of our all-time favorite commercials we've produced for Taco Time. Seattle actor Joe Homes landed the role as an intrepid Taco Time employee searching for the perfect fish taco. Artist Zach Pahl completed the post-production fantasy in After Effects. We think you'll agree it's one tasty spot! Not that we're fishing for compliments or anything.

Retail Sales Event advertising is a challenge. Clients don't want to spend a lot of money because the TV spots only air for a few weeks. The ads need to drive business but still project a brand image. There are vendor and co-op issues. Quick turnaround. And don't get us started on how much info gets jammed into :30, or in this case :15. But hey, we're always up for a challenge!

For over 30 years Leonard Creative has tapped into our Seattle roots to create unique, memorable commercials that strongly resonate with Northwest audiences. Our partnerships with local clients and suppliers have lasted not just years but often decades.

What a great story! With funding from the Taco Time Northwest Foundation, the Tacoma Farmers Market matches $10 in seasonal fruits and veggies for every $10 in SNAP, WIC or Senior Nutrition Program vouchers, helping feed more than 1,500 Pierce County low-income families. Plus 100% of the funds support Washington State farmers. (Special thanks to Andrew Ferguson for the solo guitar track.)

Local cleantech startup, EnergySavvy, was looking for something unique to celebrate their latest round of funding. On their quest to find people who are indeed "energy savvy" they planned a recruiting event in South Lake Union to ask energy efficiency trivia and give out free cupcakes. The video had a fun, spontaneous quality that matched the event.

Watch the kid in this commercial. His every move, every expression, was carefully coached and rehearsed. (If you believe a word of that, you obviously don't have kids!) It was one of those beautiful moments when all the stars align. On a moving bus no less! Special shout out to Seattle actress and improv artist Bhama Roget for going with the flow. It's the only time she's been upstaged!

Directing kids is one of the most rewarding challenges for a director. Luckily, these kids were motivated and eager to be part of the crew. And they probably slept really well after all those laps! Pro Sports Club is an amazing facility with fitness programs that genuinely improve lives. It's been a treat for us to tell their members' stories.

We stopped counting at 1,000. That's how many TV spots we had written, produced, and directed by 2001. The point is, Leonard Creative has tons of experience making TV and radio commercials and web videos. We love collaborating on new ideas, new techniques and new stories. What's your story? Let's talk!

The great thing about this business is you never stop learning. Over the years we've conceived and produced dozens of stop-motion commercials but never one that existed in a vertical world. Imagine balancing odd-shaped veggies end on end, two feet in the air. Whew! What did we learn? Going horizontal is way more fun!

Seattle actor/writer/producer/funny man Pat Cashman adds just the right weirdness to this special effects spot for Taco Time. The forced-perspective Ames Room was a practical set designed and built by Kaleo Quenzer (Southside AllStars). Post-production effects and heightened reality by AE artist Zach Pahl. Special thanks to co-creative director, Tom Price.

In February, 2014, our client Bartell Drugs jumped on a media opportunity to sponsor a televised victory parade in Seattle. Then they asked us to jump too. This celebratory spot was conceived, produced, and uploaded to the TV station in just over 24 hours. Local pride? Yeah, we're all about that. Still gives us goosebumps - and hoping for more next season!